ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, announced today that it has added support for USB digital-to-analog audio converters (DAC) giving ASUSTOR users the ability to use a USB DAC to increase the quality of audio output from their NAS devices. A USB DAC can be conveniently used in concert with ASUSTOR's SoundsGood music player App to provide users with a heightened listening experience featuring fuller and deeper sound. Featured in this integration of USB DAC devices are four models from ASUS. These models include the Xonar Essence III, Xonar Essence One, Xonar Essence STU and Xonar U3.

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“Today's NAS applications have evolved from the traditional storage and backup functions as demand for multimedia functionality has taken off,” said Steve Huang, Product Manager at ASUSTOR. “ASUSTOR has made great efforts to support the increasing multimedia demands of NAS users by providing compatibility for a wide range of peripherals. With this integration of USB DAC devices, ASUSTOR users will be able to savor a fully enhanced hi-fi listening experience when playing music from their NAS.”

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kanguru_flashblu30.pngThe Kanguru FlashBlu series, a popular flash drive line sold by Kanguru with a physical write protect switch, has recently been upgraded with new USB 3.0 technology, putting the “flash” in “flash drive” and making it one of the most cost-effective flash drives on the market. The new Kanguru FlashBlu30 USB 3.0 Flash Drive is first rate when it comes to low cost and convenience. Well-recognized for its durability, physical write protect switch, great price and high storage capacities, the new USB 3.0 interface provides high-speed data transfers.

“People love the physical write protect switch,” says Don Brown, President and CEO of Kanguru. “It’s a convenient and easy way to protect files from being accidentally overwritten, and now with the USB 3.0 FlashBlu30 model, users can transfer their files back and forth faster than ever.”

The USB 3.0 technology provides superior performance over USB 2.0 flash drives. With read speeds of up to 145 MB per second and write speeds of up to 45 MB per second, the Kanguru FlashBlu30 is an impressive USB 3.0 device, along with other key features that make it stand out from other brands.

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OCZ Storage Solutions - a Toshiba Group Company and leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced that it has initiated a beta test program for the next release of ZD-XL SQL Accelerator and invites enterprise SSD customers and SQL Server database administrators (DBAs) to participate. DBAs looking to accelerate SQL Server workloads via SSD flash or flash caching, and have production SQL Server data to run on the new ZD-XL SQL Accelerator platform are especially sought for this beta testing program.

Those interested in becoming a ZD-XL SQL Accelerator 1.5 beta tester are invited to complete the online application form located at http://ocz.com/enterprise/microsoft-sql-server-2014-accelerator.

The next generation ZD-XL continues to provide optimized and efficient flash acceleration for SQL Server environments through its tight integration of innovative hardware and software elements. It supports SQL Server 2008 R2 and 2012 versions, as well as the new 2014 version released April 1st by Microsoft that builds on the key features delivered in previous SQL Server versions, improving storage performance, availability and manageability. ZD-XL 1.5 enables DBAs to unleash the full power of SQL Server 2014 features, such as flash Buffer Pool Extension (BPE) support, that enables database pages to be accessed faster by loading them directly from flash.

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Akitio has expanded their line of Thunderbolt storage solutions to include the new Thunder2QUAD, a 4bay Thunderbolt 2 product that is large enough and fast enough for professional 4K video editing and can be used in various other occupations where larger storage capacity and high-speed data transfer speeds are required.

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The QUAD holds up to four drives and can handle 3.5”, 2.5” or solid state drives. Capacity can reach up to 20 Terabytes when using 3.5” drives and reaches transfer speeds of up to 1.4 Gigabytes per second when four SSDs are installed.

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CyberLink Corp., today launched PowerDVD 14, the latest version of the world’s pre-eminent movie and media player for Blu-ray, 3D & HD content. With tablet and mobile video viewing experiencing record-breaking growth, PowerDVD 14 offers cross-platform support with free mobile apps for leading tablets and smartphones, and for the first time, integrates the new CyberLink Cloud service to provide more convenient storing, syncing and sharing of videos, photos and music.

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“As the first and only media player to integrate PC, mobile device and cloud platforms into a seamless entertainment ecosystem, PowerDVD is designed to enhance how people experience their media,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. “In an increasingly media-rich and mobile-focused world, we’ve designed companion mobile apps and introduced our new CyberLink Cloud service to draw together all the content scattered across people’s digital lives so that they can enjoy their entertainment anywhere they want, on any device they choose.”

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greenliant_msata_armourdrive.pngGreenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, highly secure and reliable solid state storage products, has begun volume production of its mSATA ArmourDrive solid state drives (SSDs). Measuring 29.85mm x 50.80mm x 4.85mm (JEDEC MO-300), all GLS86 series products operate between -40 to +85 degrees Celsius, making them ideal for various industrial, networking and computing systems that require robust data storage able to withstand extreme temperatures.

mSATA ArmourDrive is available with 2-bits-per-cell (MLC) NAND flash memory in 8, 16, 32 and 64 GByte for applications that require dependable, industrial temperature SSDs. For applications that require high-endurance, long-life SSDs, mSATA ArmourDrive is also offered with 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) NAND in 8, 16 and 32 GByte capacities.

GLS86 products are based on ball grid array (BGA) form factor SATA NANDrive™, (GLS85LS series) SSDs, using Greenliant’s internally developed NAND flash memory controller. Dedicated power failure detection and backup power circuitry are built-in to prevent data integrity issues due to sudden power interruptions.

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Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC upgrade and storage technology company, expanded its family of Thunderbolt interface storage products with the addition of the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual external high-performance drive with hardware RAID capabilities. The Mercury Elite Pro Dual with Thunderbolt interface will be featured at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas this week, at Other World Computing's booth #SL14016, in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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The Mercury Elite Pro Dual, available in capacities up to 8TB of total storage, adds tremendous storage capacity and throughput to any Mac or PC with a Thunderbolt port. Applications such as A/V post-production, photography, music, graphics, data management, and even Time Machine backups are enhanced with access to data at sustained data rates of up to 389MB/s read, 351MB/s write.

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memoright_xt3_tlc_ssd.pngWith Memoright's proprietary Advanced Endurance Write features and Super Cache firmware architecture, Memoright XT3 SSD (SATA 6Gbps) currently supports TLC NAND with latest 19nm process technology.

XT3 series SSD offers the best combination of reliability and performance, ideal for applications in personal computing, while driving the cost down with advanced TLC.

XT3 Series SSD is currently sampled in 2.5"/1.8” 7mm ultra-thin designs and mSATA form factor with options of 128, 256, and 512GB in capacity. The sequential read/write performance with incompressible data exceeds 500/450 MB/s. Advanced Trim command handling restores the performance of the SSD thus avoids the write performance cliff, which is commonly experienced after a SSD is used for a long period of time.

TLC flash memory has been widely used mostly in consumer applications such as digital audio players and USB drive, which do not require high performance and reliability. Though TLC will help driving the cost of SSD down, a firmware design that balances performance and product life while assures reliability is important to the market of client computing. This is where Super Cache, Advanced Trim and Advanced Endurance Write come to play.

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apacer_sfd_25h-m_ssd.pngAccording to IDC, a market research institution, Taiwan’s Cloud computing and Big Data have entered into implementation phase this year. For example, telecommunication companies monitor the online transaction behaviors by means of Cloud technology. Dealers of chain channels trace production records via Big Data analysis to ensure food safety. Finance companies analyze extensive consumer behaviors to make marketing plans. Big Data storage has become the basis of all these Cloud applications.

In order to respond to the worldwide rapid growth of Cloud and Big Data, Apacer launched SATA 3 large capacity SFD 25H-M SSD. It possesses an ultra-large storage capacity of 1TB, with sequential read/write speed of 510/420 MB/sec, marking a significant specification enhancement and an advance to virtualization technology of Big Data storage. Enterprises’ overall data processing performance will be strengthened.

Jeff Lin, Embedded Application Business Unit Director of Apacer, remarks, “Most Cloud servers require frequent access to hard disks. So it is a very good choice for Big Data storage devices to take SSD as its Cache and to boost the overall efficiency.” SFD 25H-M adopts SATA 3.0 high-speed transmission interface, as well as 1x nm Toggle DDR 2.0 NAND Flash chip, endowing it with perfect performance. On the other hand, the advantage of its large capacity up to 1TB not only saves the storage space inside servers and reduces server heat output, but also economizes enterprises’ TCO and avoids depleting enterprise resources. Moreover, enterprises will be able to safeguard the storage and backup of their big data generated every day, enhancing their enterprise competitiveness.

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Samsung Electronics, a market leader in advanced memory technology and an innovator in consumer electronics, announced today that it is now shipping a new line of advanced SD and microSD cards that are ideal for digital imaging and mobile devices. The products will be available in PRO, EVO and Standard categories, suited for various use cases and performance levels for consumers and professionals.

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Samsung’s extensive memory card lineup offers SD cards and microSD cards for use in many different consumer electronic devices. The PRO, EVO and Standard lineups are available in a wide range of capacities from 4 gigabyte (GB) to 64GB. While SD cards are most often used in digital cameras, DSLR cameras and camcorders, microSD cards are mainly used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as certain cameras and camcorders with microSD card slots.

The new lineup of Samsung memory cards have newly designed exteriors and branding, with refreshing color choices for each category—professional silver for PRO, romantic orange for EVO and emerald blue for Standard. Each of the new memory cards also have distinctly printed white numbers that indicate the capacity of each card.

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